Quaternary
by The Crimson X
Summary: An old enemy of the Avatar has returned, and with her the fate of multiple worlds. Unable to restore balance alone, Korra discovers that this time she's going to need help from some rather unexpected allies. Will the combined might of an Avatar, a Sorceress, a Gem and a Superhero be enough?
1. Fractured: Part One

How long had it been? How many days had passed? Months? Years? She used to mark the days on the wall, but the longer she stayed, the less she started to care. Besides, there wasn't enough wall left.

Hearing her back crack as she stretched, she cursed under her breath and moved to the other end of her cell. This was routine; waiting for food to be given, before retreating into the darkest corner and devouring like she were a filthy rat. It was a disgusting way to live.

However, she knew her time would come. Slowly she started to muster up that same old signature laugh, the one that used to make people tremble. In response, the guards outside struck the gate with their fists, cutting it short. Apologizing with a rat's timid voice, she skittered away.

"Snake," one murmured.

She felt her shoulder shake as she stifled another laugh. How ironic, she would rather be a snake than a blind badger. Snakes were sneaky, and could end the life of their prey within a moment's notice. No matter how long they waited or how much skin had been shed in the process.

It was pitiful but she didn't have anything else to do other than listen to the idle chatter as the guards swapped shifts, passing on the responsibility to another unlucky soul. It was the same old drivel, one was going on maternity leave, another had started a long distance relationship with a Water Tribe belle, the usual. Back in the old days some had even had the nerve to try to provoke her, but those that had found themselves losing their position. She was to be ignored. Forgotten.

But she did not fade away so easily.

She heard the bars slide open, and along with her meal for the day also came the whisper. The sweetest of songs that her crooked ears had been dying to hear.

"All hail Fire Lord Azula."

Eagerly picked up the bowl, the dead eyes of a half cooked fish stared back at her. She stuck out her tongue in disgust and tossed it away. Looking closely at the rice, she saw a shimmer of red and excitedly pulled the object out. It was like being handed a diamond ring.

Grinning wildly, she stood and adopted a pose long since abandoned but never discarded. Her rusty joints cracking back into place as she extended her fist out, embers starting to form around her finger. She had been out of practise for many a year, that kind of lapse would cripple a lesser firebender.

But she was Azula.

Cracking her knuckles, the embers extended out to the paper and soon all was caught in its glorious blaze. The guards barely had a moment to see the normally still prisoner had burst into list before the fire consumed their eyes.

No, she would not fade away.

The explosion was small, but its impact was cataclysmic. The Boiling Rock was soon on high alert, and the sound of a thousand feet could be heard clambering their way through the corridors. When word spread of whose cell has been torched, panic soon began to set it.

As the fiery commotion continued to brew, Azula walked out and cracked her neck in some much needed places. She was already ninety one, her body decrepit and withered, but she knew that it was enough. Adjusting her eyes to the false light, she noticed the cattle that was the approaching guards, gathering together in a half-baked defense formation. She let her smile resonate. There was fear in their eyes. Grinning maniacally, she charged forward.

On reflex, the guards' unleashed waves of fire from their fists, however to their shock the old prisoner managed tossed herself over the flames with unsightly grace and landed right before them, like a ghoulish spider baring its fangs. It was enough to break the guards' formation, and she took the chance to quickly raise her leg, bringing it down with a trail of fire in its wake. Two poor souls felt the full brunt of it, as blue flames melted their armor and consumed their flesh. Not giving them a chance to rest, she began to let out a slew of familiar movements. Muscle memory did not fail her, and soon the blue fire was consuming the entire corridor. Oh sure, they resisted, but ultimately they were saplings compared to what she knew. The few that managed to outrun her reach were already fleeing for their lives, screaming for help.

It didn't take her long to find her escape route, something else that she had pieced together from decades of gathering whispers and knowledge fed to her by her precious little spies. Kicking down the nearest barred widow with strength alone, she slid out and peered up at the dark skies above and let the cold breeze hit her body. Embracing the outside, she took a moment to savor the first taste of freedom, before looking back to see the entirety of the reconstructed Boiling Rock was clambering after her.

Sliding down the wall and weaving her way alone the outside of the complex, her info seemed to be on point. The bulk of the response had gathered to her prison room, expecting a limping old woman to be clawing her way to the outside, instead of a deadly predator managing to stalk her way to her intended location.

The landing pad was as vast as it was beautiful, especially given the blimp docked there. As the wind howled in her ear, she sent herself hurting towards the ground. The steel ground melting under her feet with the impact. The spot of guards that had been posted nearly didn't know what to think as the figure coated in pale flames made her entrance. Though it didn't really matter in the end given how they soon found themselves cut to the fiery ribbons.

The crew didn't fare much better. With a new fire churning in her belly, she stormed her way onto the front deck, and in their confusion the group had no time to register the fact their faces had been turned to ashes, save for the dainty little thing that watched her co-workers lose their bodies to the old woman's wrath. Azula's face, like that of a vengeful demon, filled her view, her haggard voice whispering into her ear with one instruction layered with obvious threat.

"Fly."

And just like that they were airborne, the pilot too concerned about if she was ever going to see her fiancé again to worry about taking the world's most dangerous criminal to who knows where. Walking through the charred remains of the crew, she casually sat down on one of the chairs and started to hum to herself.

"See you soon... Zuzu."

* * *

Asami was pacing, more than usual. This was largely due to her not being in the best of headspaces. A strong sigh took over, despite knowing she would regret it snagged an emergency class of brandy and inhaled its dark contents.

Korra was coming back soon from a day out with Mako and Bolin. Probably going out to an all you could eat buffet in the center of town. However, while she was usually all for her taking a break and letting off some steam, this time she was a little concerned.

Today was their anniversary, and yet not a single conversation surrounding the day had been mentioned. At least not by Korra. Asami had been dropping hints for months on end. This was to be a huge deal, celebrating that one magical day they had both stepped through the spirit portal and established themselves as Republic City's biggest power couple.

Maybe she was being paranoid, but unless Korra had suddenly gone outside her usual traits and become an expert in stealth, she was starting to wonder if she had remembered at all. The fact that she had gallivanted off with the dynamic duo was almost proof enough.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door open. Dressed in her usual Water Tribe robes, sprouting muscles that could make any male made, along with that short hair that always made her look as cute as could be (well, at least to her), Korra waltzed in while rubbing her belly. Her smile was wide, so should could only assume that Mako had paid.

Asami weaved the most casual expression she could muster.

"Hey you! Oh you are not going to believe how much we all ate! I tell you, I think in one of my previous lives I must have been a boar, because – "

Her attempts at an approaching hug were halted when a held a hand to her chest, stopping her in place.

"Did you forget?"

Korra blinked.

"Forget...?"

The eyes of the Future Industries CEO lit up like that of a dragon and a much sharper tone took over.

"Did you, Korra, forget what today is?"

The ditzy expression plastered on the Avatar's face pretty much confirmed the Sato heir's greatest fear, but she wasn't giving anything away. Korra on the hand felt like she was under investigation and sheepishly scratched the back of her neck.

"Um...well...I mean...ah...can you give me a clue?" she chuckled nervously.

Asami's eyes widened, and for a moment Korra was worried she had been possessed by Vaatu, because that was a look that could strike down even the strongest of benders.

"A-N-N-I-V-E-R-S-A-R-Y."

It took a couple of seconds for Korra to spell it out in her mind, but when she did, she felt herself could an unceremonious shade of pale. She opened her mouth but no word seemed to come out.

"...Happy anniversary baby!" she suddenly burst out and pulled Asami into a deep hug. "I can't believe it! Twelve whole months! That's a lot of months to be in love with someone! Oh man, it would be crazy for someone not to remember a special day like this!" she began to laugh, while also shaking in the spot.

"You forgot, didn't you?"

"I totally forgot" she admitted in defeat

Asami let out a very long sigh. She should had snapped and hurled a plethora of accusations at her lover but looking on the ashamed face of the Avatar made her own features soften.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" her hands clasped together like she had just spat in the face of a deity. Granted, an angry Asami was legendary in its destructiveness. Just ask the last man who had uttered a sexual slur to her.

A long, hard sigh passed between Asami's divine lips.

"I...know you've been busy lately...the higher ups have been pulling you all over the world for months now" she said slowly, causing Korra to raise her head ever so slightly. "And being the awesome girlfriend that I am, I would perhaps be willing to forgive you...if you take me out to dinner tonight. With all the trimmings" she said with a tiny smile.

Bursting into life again, Korra pulled her into a massive hug that was almost spine-breaking.

"Thank you, thank you!" she said over and over again. "I am so sorry, I am such moron! I can't believe Mako forgot to remind me of this! Bet this was his idea to get back at me for beating him in that all you can eat challenge! Cheeky son of a – "

"Korra"

"Yes?" she gulped.

"You're not out of the weeds yet young lady"

"I'm not?"

Asami smiled devilishly and soon the two were a breath away from a kiss.

"But you can make it up to me this way"

However, the sound of lips clasping together was cut off by the sound of the door being thrown open, the trample of heavy boots and strained breathing. An officer from the RCPD nearly came tumbling through the door.

"Avatar Korra!"

"Kind of busy here" she responded a little sharply. Nothing irritated her more than when her supermodel of a girlfriend was about to layer on the sugar and they were interrupted.

"I'm afraid it's urgent! A message from the Fire Nation! Azula has escaped!"

* * *

Korra still felt the sting in her heart as she recalled the fresh memory of her leaving the house. In her shadow was a very distressed Asami. Of course that look if disappointment lasted only a moment, followed by a set of instructions as she arranged to have Korra taken by the fastest zeppelin Republic City had to offer.

 _"You have to go."_

 _"But-"_

 _"This is too important to ignore. You are the Avatar. You belong to the world...not just me."_

The goodbye kiss had seem a little more sour than usual, but she tried to push thoughts to the back of her mind as she made her way towards the latest version of the ancient prison known as the Boiling Rock. It was a fortress that had been doubled multiple times over, with an entire section being devoted to that of one criminal.

Upon landing, a familiar face greeted Korra, one that was ravaged by concern.

"Avatar"

"Lord Zuko" she responded.

"We already have a suspect in custody that aided Azula in her escape, he's just about to be interrogated.

The two old souls walked along the path towards the entrance, all the while Korra could not help but notice the faces of the guards. Sorrow and shame painted across their faces like they had been hit by a branding iron.

"What happened here?"

"My...sister managed to break free due to some fool smuggling in some kind of explosive. We were too careless to think that in her old age she would have given up her ideals of conquest. Though I suppose madness such as hers can hardly be cured."

"I've heard the stories. She was one of Aang's most deadly enemies."

"The history books do her villainy an injustice. Her mind was as wicked as a demon's, and just as cunning. She brought the Earth Kingdom to its knees. Though time may have made her body weaker, I fear what calamity she may cause unless she is stopped"

"Guess we had better focus on finding her then. Think this smuggler knows anything?"

"If he does, we'll get it out of him."

* * *

The guard in question was a rather strikingly handsome man, save for the burns and bruises that had lacerated his face after he was found out. Seemed his old colleagues weren't particular impressed with his extracurricular activities.

"This was found in his personal quarters, hidden inside a secret compartment in the floor" one of the interrogators stated as he handed a very large book to Korra.

Bound to the ground in a large stone room with several benders surrounding him, the accused looked utterly pitiful. Korra took a gander at the book and turned to a random page before wincing.

"That's...um...that's Azula?" she asked Zuko.

"In her youth, yes..." Zuko said, disdain in his voice for the various photos and drawing plastered all over the pages, some of which held her in a rather sexual nature.

The former Fire Lord turned his attention to the prisoner.

"You have one chance to tell me everything you know on the whereabouts of my sister, or I promise you the last memory you will have will be that of unimaginable pain. I want to know where Azula is, where she might be headed, every last sordid word you two ever exchanged"

"We have those as well" the guard added as he handed a series of papers to the pair. "Seems they were exchanging secret letters. They are all dated, and match up with his schedule from the past few years."

"A real affair, huh?" Korra muttered as he looked at the silent man, who was now starting to profusely sweat. As it seemed he needed a little more nudging, Korra began to read a random letter aloud.

"My Princess, my future Queen, your words of sweet venom have taken hold of my heart. I cannot deny I too long to see you return to the ways of your youth and lead our people to their former glory. Those of us who believe dim by the day, but I am the one constant. I shall endeavor to free you from this wretched place."

"You fool" Zuko interjected. "She is a master manipulator, any weak heart she will twist to her whim with fanciful words."

A murmur from the prisoner tempted Korra to keep reading.

"This is a recent entry, only a month ago. To my Fire Lord, I now have a way to free you. I can smuggle in small amount of flammable materials, a few grains at a time. But I shall not rest until you are unchained. As for what you seek, the easiest way is through the..." Her heart began to sink. "The Southern Water Tribe?"

Before Zuko could even intervene Korra had suddenly taken the man by the scruff of his collar and lifted him off the floor with relative ease. Her eyes were no longer gentle, they were fierce, hardened, overwhelmed by the desire to protect what was precious to her.

"Why is Azula going to the Southern Water Tribe? What does she want there?!"

"...betray..." was the only word that she managed to catch out of him before she growled and slammed his whole body to the floor, he let out a pained cry in response.

"Answer me!"

"I...I will not betray her...!"

Korra grit her teeth.

"I swear if you don't give tell me what I want to know within the next five seconds then being burned alive is going to a pleasantry compared to what I am going to do to you!" she warned.

"Korra," Zuko's voice spoke out with an aged old authority.

"What?!" she snapped back.

He simply handed her the book as well as another extract of paper.

"I think we can guess what she is after...this idiot was kind enough to write it down for us" he explained.

Quickly snatching it out of his hands she began to read through the writing as fast as possible. Confusion crossed her face as she tried to decipher what was before her.

"These...these are all extracts. Random bits of information about the Spirit World?" she said aloud before looking at the piece of paper. "This is an old entry. My dearest Azula, your words of love will not be wasted. Behold the fruits of my labour, this is everything I have surrounding its legend. The way there is treacherous, but I have no doubt you could succeed." She paused again before glancing up at Zuko. "Its legend?"

"It appears that my sister seeks to head to the Spirit World through the Southern Water Tribe, but for what reason I cannot fathom."

"...Wait..."

Korra grabbed the rest of the papers and scanned some of the entries she had already read aloud, browsing over the words like it was some lock, and a specific passage was a key that could untangle its heinous secrets. And sure enough she soon found her answer, and it was one that made her previous anger melt away. Replaced by a visceral sense of dread.

"I know what she's after."


	2. Fractured: Part Two

Despite the decades since the Hundred Year War, a Fire Nation vehicle landing in the Southern Water Tribe always brought with it a sense of tension. Even more so if it was unannounced.

The children, the elderly and the non-benders were all informed to take shelter immediately. They were a little ways off from civilization, but there were still a few settlements. Especially considering how close they were to a Spirit Portal. In response a small group of the village's more capable warriors stepped forward, the nervousness on their faces even visible amidst the frost.

As the vehicle came to ground with a rather ungraceful landing, the passenger compartment slowly opened. There a few moments of silence...before the burning remnants of the young pilot were tossed out onto the snow. Her bone fragments soon scattered away in the icy wind.

Taking advantage of the landing party's shock, Azula let loose a shower of flames towards them while taking cover inside the ship's compartment. Much to her displeasure it only managed kill two of them. She groaned as the cold conditions combined with the pain of her over exerted body caused her bending to fall below par.

Not one to be beaten, she dashed forward and nearly tackled the first waterbender she came across, a rather beefy individual whose strength would have easily torn her off of him, if she didn't happen to cough up a whole slew of flames and turn his skull into soup.

The remaining two were agile little things, and soon Azula found herself getting battered with water and ice, the pressure sending her flying across the snow, her old bones close to cracking from the impact.

"Disgusting peasants..." she hissed.

Forcing herself to her feet, she raised a hand and began to channel all the warmth in her body to her palm. This sensation, the power that came from splitting the atoms in the air, taking hold of the forces of nature, bending it to her will. Oh yes, she had missed this.

With a murderous flare in her eyes, lightning poured forth from her fingertips.

Korra and Zuko had been expecting people to be fleeing in terror and a rapid-fire military response to the arrival of the former princess. Despite all they knew she was capable of, the last thing they were expecting to find was a graveyard.

The frozen surroundings had just amount managed to quell the flames that had soaked through the settlements, but no amount of snow could disguise the bodies that lay lifeless in the cold. Young and old, all looked like their bodies had been blown to pieces.

It was a sight Korra knew she would be seeing in her nightmares.

"So many snatched away...I think for a time I truly had forgotten just what she was capable of" Zuko lamented. Behind him, several of his personal guard came funneling out of the zeppelin, scanning the devastation in hopes of survivors.

"We can't be thinking about that now" Korra managed to choke out as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "We don't know if she's already at the portal yet, but even so we don't have a lot of time left."

"Go, we will spread out to the surrounding villages and set up defensive perimeters in case she hasn't made it. If she has...then it's up to you" he said, placing his worn hands on her shoulders. "Hold nothing back, you cannot give her an inch, otherwise it will be the end of us all."

Korra nodded before letting out a whistle. Heavy thuds filled the cold night as out of the zeppelin came the beautiful white fur of Naga. A friend and asset that had quickly been gathered from her little home on Air Temple Island. After all when it came to terrain such as this, nothing was more capable than a polar bear dog. Skidding beside her beloved companion, Korra leaped onto the hybrid's back, eyes already set towards their destination.

"I won't fail."

The whole place made her stomach turn, like she had just slipped into a lucid dream. The colors, the way it affected her senses, how the air seemed to crackle in her very presence. She had no record of how long she had been walking, but then again the passing of moments had become a broken concept to her since her incarceration. Her battered legs eventually came to a stop, feeling the shadow of the monument before her swallow her being. It was even more awe-inspiring than the books had described.

"The Tree of Time."

What was once Vaatu's prison was now vacant, unguarded and very much for the taking. Trudging towards the sacred flora, she began to feel the weight of herself for the first time in decades. That tiny room of dark and damp had ensured that her flames never reached their full potential, but she never had much of a reason exert herself by the time her hair starts to turn grey. Speaking of which, she scooped a couple of strands and peered at them with disdain.

"Not long now...so close..." she hissed as she approached the base of the tree. "I'll taste my youth again before the dawn breaks."

"Don't count on it!"

The gust felt like a hammer, and when it struck her side Azula was taken along by its current, crashing to the earth with an unceremonious crash. Coughing out the pain, her instincts kicked in and so just managed to push herself up. Good thing too, since the earth began to spit up random pillars that just barely missed her flesh.

With a snarl and snap of her hand, blue flame blanketed her horizon, giving her a moment to recover and set her sights on her attacker. She growled as Korra stood in an earthbending stance, her body low to the ground and immovable like a mountain.

"The Avatar...I see you finally hit puberty, look how manly you've become."

"It's over Azula, you're not setting a foot inside the Tree of Time," Korra responded, earning her a sharp cackle.

"I see you're just as high-strung as you were when you had an arrow on your head. Well listen up new girl, whatever advantage you think you have over me you can forget, I was setting cities ablaze long before you were wetting yourself in the snow."

"Oh, I don't know about that..." Korra said as she swerved her feet to the side and reached deep inside herself and the ground below. "The way I hear it, you were getting your behind kicked by Zuko and Katara even back in your heyday. Tell me, how does it feel to know you lost so badly? To be worse than a peasant" she said slowly, letting the words dig in like a razor's edge. "To be nothing."

Hatred and fire consumed Azula's eyes, and with haggard cry and let loose a vicious amount of fire from her palm. However it did little to change Korra's expression, who brought her entire body up in a surging motion, causing a wide wall of earth to ride up and nail itself into Azula's midsection, redirecting her flames and sending her flying once again.

"You...brat!"

Even mid-fall the flames kept coming, but Korra was still a step ahead, weaving through and countering with short bursts of air as well as shielding herself with barriers of hard rock. Eventually she closed the distance and the fists began to fly.

Still stunned from the pain in her abdomen, the first punch made its mark and nearly knocked Azula's jaw off, however it didn't take her long to respond. Even at a close distance, she didn't hesitate to let loose her flames. Trying to pin down the Avatar and scar her flesh, but it wasn't that easy.

"You're weak Azula," Korra said before countering a fire-laced punch with another burst of airbending, pushing Azula onto her back once again. "Whatever you were in Aang's time is long past, you don't have a prayer against me" she warned.

The look on Azula's face was closer to that of an animal than an older woman. Grasping for oxygen for her inflamed lungs, she just about managed to bring herself to her feet, albeit wobbling in place slightly.

"What I was?" she hissed. Her flames didn't seem to be responding to her, but still she persisted in trying to conjure that beautiful blue. "What I was...what I am...is royalty. I am the true Fire Lord, the one who brought down Ba Sing Se...I was the one who defeated the Avatar when no one else could!" she howled as the flames began to grow, coating her arms and even licking at her face. "I am Azula! Princess of the Fire Nation! And I demand that you BURN!"

The flames were intense, eating the air before Korra, She could feel strands of her dark hair singe. Everything before her eyes spelled doom, but still she did not falter. A harsh breath before she took a new stance, one that she had practiced since she was a child. Brilliant orange flames began to embrace her own hand. With a mighty battle cry she let loose her own stream of firebending, meeting its blue opposition head on and resulting in a titanic clash of flames. It was a spectacle to behold, but one that didn't last more than a minute.

As Azula struggled to maintain the ferocity of her attack, she felt a familiar fear swell in her gut. Before she could identify it, her own flames began to fade before the overwhelming might of her opponent's, one whose eyes began to glow with the light of a thousand suns. Imbued by the Avatar State, Korra's firebending soon devoured all in front of, as well as coating the princess with a fresh coat of light burns.

The heat soon dispersed, as did the light in Korra's eyes. Walking along the scorched ground, no sign of hesitance in her face, she approached the slouching figure of Azula. Her fists hands still clenched in case the elderly escapee hadn't had her fix yet. Though from the way her body had crumpled to the ground, she doubted that would be happening.

"It's over."

The words were final, spoken with absolute authority, and earned something of an unexpected response. A low, grading sound that erupted from the back of Azula's throat. It grew and grew in volume until she realized that the old woman was actually crying. Loudly as well. It was a pitiful look that Korra wasn't used to seeing, and the last thing she had thought someone of Azula's infamy would fall to.

"It's...it's not fair!" she wept as she looked up at the Avatar, now appearing older than ever. "I had it all...I had the world...I was respected and feared...and now I am less than trash! I live inside my own grave! Never allowed to taste the open air, never allowed to see the shores of my home! I've been tortured by time...eaten away by the years!" she screamed as she hammered at the earth. "I...I want it all to end...I just want it all to fade away!"

In truth, Korra didn't know what to feel. The sight of this elderly woman expressing such sorrow was something that would have earned her full captivation, yet she knew who she was facing, and so still kept a defensive front up. She did, however, take a long stride forward towards her.

"Come on, I'm taking you back," she warned.

"...Back?"

Azula's eyes peered up, and while they were consumed by tears and droplets of blood, she none the less held the look of a fearsome beast. Her nails broke as she gripped the ground beneath, clenching the scorched earth.

"The only thing I'm going back to...is my birthright!" she snapped as she swung her arm up, and from along her fingers came the crackle of electricity, a wave of lightning bursting forth from her fingers.

Korra's eyes widened. Years of facing down the worst and most deadly the world had to offer made her wary of when an opponent went down, whether they had been truly defeated or were just a caged beast waiting for a chance to bite the hand of mercy. It had been a lesson of hard knocks, but one that had sharpened her reflexes on a whole other level. Almost without thinking she leaned back while bringing up her right knee, the vigorous motion causing a small pillar of earth to sprout from the ground and struck Azula's wrist. There was something of a snap heard, but there was no time for screams as the disjointed hand veered off, the lightning following like a loyal dog.

Only to head right into the heart of the Tree of Time, where its ancient bark began to combust.

The aftermath was filled with shimmering light, piercing sound, and a shockwave that sent Korra flying back like a rag doll, barely able to claw herself back. Azula on the other hand was anchored in place. As the tree itself began to splinter, a pulsating energy began to spill out like someone had shattered a cauldron, it otherworldly contents pouring forth with the lone strand of lightning as the tether. The force that erupted from the tree was enough the break the surrounding land...and even the sky. Korra could barely see as her eyes were assaulted by the unnatural light, but she just about spotted Azula's frame, stranded like an island amidst a storm. If she was screaming it was impossible to hear. But like all storms, it soon ended, leaving Korra gasping for breath as she tried to muster the strength to stand. The entire area looked like it had hosted a war. Craters and large patches of burnt earth as far as she could see, but in all honesty it was mere commodities compared to the tree itself.

"Oh no..."

What had once been a grand structure stretching far and wide was now a broken husk, with many of its branches just straight up missing. A pale imitation of its former splendor, now reduced to a smoldering wreck by the hands of humans.

She felt a hole form in her heart as she gazed on the ruination of such a precious piece of the Spirit World, and knew that she had had a hand in it. Pushing the sense of blame far from her mind, she began to make her way forward with a slight limp in her leg. Her sadness turned to rage as she looked for the one responsible...only to see that Azula had vanished from sight.

Korra swerved herself around, desperately looking across the landscape, but not another soul was in sight, only faint remnants of smoke. She growled like a wounded wolf.

"Azula!" she snapped as she continued to make her way forward, raising her guard again. "There's no point in hiding! Come on out and face me!" she snapped, though part of her was starting to doubt that anyone could have survived such a thing. No, the firebender was too slippery to be taken so easy. "AZULA!" she yelled into the emptiness.

"Who's hiding?"

The kick came out of nowhere, even when the shadow of the limb came into Korra's view it was too late to stop it. Her reflexes acted out once again and she raised her arms in defense, only to feel like she had just been struck by a metalbender's entire arsenal. Air left her lungs as she found herself sent flying back once again. As her face kissed the ground, her vision blurred. She could only make out the fluctuating figure in front of her. Pushing her weight onto her fists she just about manage to pull herself up, just in time for her eyes to adjust to the sight before her.

The remains of the rags she had worn as a prisoners were still drenched over her body, though needless to say her flesh had filled out immensely, the rags now laced to her sturdy frame. Even from such a distance it was clear that barely any of it was fat, rather all of it seemed to be toned muscle forged from rigorous training and pure genetics. What was once wrinkled was now smoothed, and what was once grey had now become a deep auburn. But above all else, the thing that had changed the most was her mouth, as it was now curved into a smile unlike Korra had ever seen.

"A...Azula?" she coughed out.

The smile deepened, followed by a heel coated in hellish flames.


	3. Fractured: Part Three

Tenzin would have been proud. All those lessons and lectures and meditation sessions that he had coerced her into during her rebellious teenage years actually paid off. Just before the blazing heel came crashing down on her skull, Korra exhaled a breath of such magnitude that it managed to send her body flying back. With her throat and nostrils burning from the sudden use of such forceful airbending, she staggered to her feet. What greeted her was the sight of an unbruised, unbroken and ever so youthful Azula, who despite her knotted and unwashed hair, remained utterly picturesque. All except for an unwavering smile that coldly resembled that of a serpent.

Her eyes darted around her person, peering over her new appearance like she were a living work of art. Her smile widened, followed by a laugh that was unburdened by age.

"Marvellous," she grinned.

With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a deep blue flame in the palm of her hand, one whose colour and ferocity was ten times greater than when she was an old woman. The fire danced in her eyes, gazing over it like it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"What an illustrious gift you have given me, Avatar."

The impact of Korra's fist was staggering, but was hardly as frightening as Azula's reaction. With a single motion her arm had blocked the punch and was easily keeping it in place, her eyes not once drifting from the fire in her hand.

Puffing and grunting, Korra tried to force it further, but to no avail.

"I suppose I should show you my gratitude," she replied before letting loose a single swing that knocked Korra's arm back, leaving plenty of room for her leg to leacce its mark by smashing into her side.

Spluttering, Korra had barely any time to react before the escaped convict began a feral assault with her fists. With speed and reflexes beyond anything she had seen before, the Avatar soon found herself on the receiving end of a plethora of heavy blows that managed to slip her guard. It was a deadly dance built on such relentless precision that she had no time to repel her with bending. As she felt her jaw shake from the impact of a rather nasty uppercut, she mustered whatever strength was left and forced both her arms forward to try and push her attacker off balance, only for Azula to beat her to the punch and grab onto her wrists, holding her in place. Their eyes finally meeting, the two could not look more opposite. Porcelain skin reflected against a battered and slightly bloody face.

"You're so slow Avatar, must get annoying being reincarnated into such a sluggish body," Azula chuckled.

"What...did you do?!" Korra bit back.

"I think you'll find it's what we did, after all you did steady my aim," she said. "You allowed that old hunk of wood to burn, and gave me exactly what I wanted. As you can see, I was tad spryer in my youth," her words drenched in mockery, just as she brought her knee into Korra's sternum. "This is the face of Fire Nation, its true heir, the woman who struck down Avatar Aang and brought the Earth Kingdom to the brink of ruin."

Korra could barely breathe but was still just about managing to hold on.

"Whatever you're planning...whatever evil is lurking in that sick head of yours...I am going to stop you," she growled, teeth clenched and veins pulsing.

"Look, you're the new girl so I'll let you down gently," Azula retorted, just before she struck the side of Korra's knee with her foot before following it up with a strike to the breastbone. "I am beyond anything you have ever faced. In my prime I burnt whole cities to the ground and stepped on its ashes...but now..." she grinned as her hands suddenly became alight with blue fire. "Now I will burn this rotten planet to its core!"

Korra's agonising screams echoed across the Spirit World. Her flesh charring as Azula's enflamed fingers held on tight. A few more minutes of this and there was little doubt that she would melt through to the bone. As the pain circulated through her body, she forced her tear-stained eyes to look on the princess. Her cries of pain slowly began to shift towards the growls you would hear in that of a corned animal.

"I...won't...ALLOW IT!"

Light filled her eyes as the Avatar State surged into being. Not wasting a single moment she slammed her foot into the earth below, causing a torrent of rock and stone to rise up between them. As the wall shot out from the ground and forced the two apart, Korra drove her palm forward, unleashing a burst of airbending that cracked through it like a hammer. The resulting shockwave managed to hit its mark as Azula was pushed back pretty far. Though devoid of breath, she still managed to hold her footing.

"Filthy Water Tribe spawn. Was that supposed to-"

Her insult was drowned out by the sea of fire that followed as Korra let loose heated waves from both hands, scorching the already broken ground. The flames flowed like the tide over the horizon. Time ironically enough seemed to slow as the fire churned and weaved, all the while Korra held out the vain hope that it would be enough to bring down such a formidable enemy.

That hope was soon dashed when the heart of the inferno was pierced by a staggering bolt of lightning, one that rose to strike the heavens above. The thunderous streak was beyond any that Korra had any seen, its magnificence only matched by the horror of watching Azula emerge practically unscathed. As the crackling light flowed from her fingertips, the serpentine smile had spread from ear to ear. With a final swing, Azula brought the lightning down like a blade.

Korra could only watch in horror as the flames were cleaved in two, leading to them dissipating in a beautiful rain of orange sparks, flickering out of existence one by one. Of course she didn't have time admire the clash of elements, given how the bolt came crashing down towards her. Perhaps it was another hand of fate saving her hyde or just dumb luck, because the attack landed just a hair away from her. She wasn't as lucky with the shockwave that came after. The burning fury of such powerful bending sent her flailing into the dirt, skin singed and bones creaking. As her vision turned hazy, she could only make out the blurry feet before her, and the echoes of a voice dripping with the joy of conquest.

"Looks like you lose Avatar."

The heat once again smeared itself across Korra's face. She couldn't even hold on to consciousness long enough to stare into the face of certain death. How many times had she been here? The edge of oblivion. The fringe of failure. In these dismal moments her mind could not help but springboard back to her other ordeals. Having her bending sealed by Amon, tasting the venom of the Red Lotus, suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of Kuvira. At each threshold she felt her body at the border of failing her, and cascading into the abyss. Yet she did not fall. Nor would she fall now.

Once again her eyes became emblazoned with the light of the Avatar State. On instinct she reached out, arms raised, fingers stretching into the blue flames. No sense of pain followed thereafter, only silence.

"Korra? Korra?" The voice was aged yet sweet, like a fruity wine. It spurned the Avatar's eyelids open as the haze slowly faded from her vision. "My, my, my. You sure know how to make an impact. I don't think there's a soul for miles that didn't hear all that racket."

"That voice..." Korra found herself pushing herself up off the scorched ground, the numbness in her muscles still lingering. When she looked up she found herself greeted by the tender smile of an old man, the greyness of his beard only contrasted by the vitality of his eyes.

"Iroh?"

"Hello, my dear" he said softly as he reached down and helped her to her knees. Just from a single touch Korra could feel warmth flowing through her body, though the chips in her bones were still hard to ignore.

"What...what I are you doing here? Where did you...?" before she could even begin questioning the older man she cut herself off, eyes ripe with alarm as she whirled around in panic. "Azula!"

"Yes."

"She was just here! I...I fought her and..."

"Easy Korra," he said slowly as he rested a hand on her arm. "She is no longer here. Though I am not sure for how long" he said as his eyes graced the destruction around them, a cold expression on his face. "Like a serpent, my niece shall return from the shadows to strike anew, especially now she has reclaimed her youth."

"...Oh no," Korra turned to see the ruins of what had once been the Tree of Time. Only a large stump remained, its former splendour shattered, several of its branches and groves missing from sight. "It's destroyed."

"It has certainly seen better days."

Korra clenched her fists, too exhausted to summon the energy needed to scream out in anger, but the weight of her failings still stung.

Iroh cast a glance to her shaking figure before his smile returned.

"Peace, Korra. Do not drag yourself further into despair."

"Peace?!" she snapped back. "The Tree of Time is gone! Burnt to ashes because I couldn't stop that maniac!" she felt a lump form in her throat. Defeat had never tasted so bitter. "I promised that I would stop her but all I did was make things worse! She...she's different now! After the tree was blown apart she - "

"Reclaimed her youth" Iroh interjected, his voice slightly sterner.

"You saw?"

"By the time I arrived I only caught a glimpse of your battle, after her last attack she fled. Unless my eyesight has withered further since I entered the Spirit World, she looked no younger than she had been during the time of Avatar Aang."

"How is that possible?"

"Time is a fickle thing," he said as he began to walk towards the tree. As he arrived at the wreckage of wood he brushed against its smoking exterior, his face contorting like he were looking over a fresh carcass. "Perhaps it was divine will or the greatest of misfortunes, but it seems she has harnessed the tree's essence and reverted back to her prime" he sighed. "Decades on and here I had hoped the poison in her mind would have faded, but it seems age has only fermented it."

"Is she still in the Spirit World?" Korra asked, holding onto an arm that looked a little worse for wear.

"No, I can longer sense her malice among us" he responded as he turned to face her. "She did not leave this fight unscathed, but it would be foolish to think she will not return. Her appetite for death is bottomless, and too many of her enemies still walk among the living."

"Then we have to find her," Korra said, renewed vigour burning inside her. "She's already killed dozens of innocents, I can't let her hurt anyone else!"

"Azula must be dealt with, on that we agree," he nodded. "However, I am afraid to say that she is not your most pressing matter at the moment."

"Uh, what?" Korra replied. "A psycho firebender with a grudge is on the loose! I have to warn Lord Zuko and the others before the worst happens! What could possibly more important than that?!"

His hand rested on her shoulder. No hint of annoyance in his eyes, but rather one of understanding.

"As always your heart rules your judgement, it's the quality I most admire about your Korra. However, you must listen to what I have to say. I am afraid that Azula's actions here have had far greater consequences than even she is aware of," he said, fingers tightening slightly.

"Consequences?" Korra asked.

"As you know, the Tree of Time is no mere perennial plant. It is sacred ground, every root laced with ancient knowledge and power immeasurable," he explained. "It once served as the prison for the dark spirit Vaatu for millennia."

"You don't have to remind me, it was Avatar Wan's last resort" she replied, the memories of her predecessor still fresh in her head.

"Famously so, but not even he ever truly understood its innermost secrets," he replied.

"Wait, what do you mean secrets?" Korra asked.

"Time, space and the power to slip through them both is what one might call the ultimate bending technique. However, balance demands that the flow of time remain fluid, never to be altered by the hands of mortals. To manipulate the threads that stitch the universe together could mean the total collapse of all things. Of course, no mere bender could perform such a feat. It even extends beyond the reach of the Avatar," he explained.

Korra tried to follow his train of thought, his expression already making her worry.

"However, it is not beyond the Tree of Time, for within its branches lies the potential to achieve this power. To walk along the binding thread and step onto the shores of worlds beyond our own. We need not fear this, for all its wisdom the tree does not possess the desires of mankind that would tempt such foolish acts...at least when it was whole."

"Iroh, what are you saying?" Korra asked slowly.

From out of nowhere, thunder began to resonate above them, No, it was beyond thunder. It was like a chorus of explosions the size of continents all overlapping together. The noise was almost otherworldly, cutting through Korra's ears relentlessly. She barely had time to register what was going on before the fluorescent sky above them began to darken. These were not the shadow of clouds, rather what could only be described as wounds of light, peeling open to reveal unnatural images. It was a spectacle that took the Avatar's breath away.

Iroh, however, simply stood and watched it the event unfold with a melancholy look over his face.

"The tree has not been destroyed, it has been shattered, its branches broken off and scattered through time and space. Because of Azula, it is now unable to hold its form, and thus the power locked inside is spilling out over all dimensions. What I am saying, Korra..." the worry in his eye coming to life. "Is that we on the edge of catastrophe."


	4. The Gathering: Part One

"Catastrophe?" The words echoed out of her, as hollow as the Tree of Life's remains.

Korra looked at the elder Firebender like he had just spoken in riddle. Not that she was in the best mental shape anyway. The weight of her previous battle had not only taken a huge toll on her body but also on her mind as well. Azula's venomous laughter pierced through her ears, prompting her to bite her own lip. How could she have let her escape?

"You really should sit down Korra, you look like your head is about to explode" Iroh said, wearing that same old smile.

"My head is fine! Azula's the problem! She's out there somewhere and if I don't do something more innocent people are going to be turned into ashes!" she snapped back.

"You will confront Azula again, of that I have no doubt, but there are more pressing matters to deal with."

"More pressing?! What could be more pressing than a psychotic criminal who-"

"Korra."

He spoke her name with such gentleness yet overwhelming amount of authority that Korra stopped her rant altogether. He lifted his hand and pressed it onto her shoulder.

"Trust me, I understand. I understand the anger that boils inside you. You are desperate to stop her, and rightly so. She excels when it comes inciting desperation and a desire for revenge in people. I have felt this first-hand. However, above all else, you are the Avatar, and the Avatar's sole duty is to protect the world from devastation," he stated calmly. "And right now, the world faces a threat that is even deadlier than Azula, a threat that you cannot ignore."

Korra's anger slowly dissipated, her eyes fell to the scorched earth below her, looking like a child who had just been reprimanded by a teacher.

"I...I understand."

Iroh's chuckle came back in full force, ruffing up her hair in the process.

"My, my, you really do remind me of my nephew when he was your age. A fire forever in his belly and an eagerness that gave me no end of headaches" he teased. "Though he never had as much luck with the ladies as you do."

"Iroh!" Korra laughed before she lightly punched his shoulder. A moment of levity before the gravity of the situation once again made itself known. A serious look plastere ditself across her face. "What can I do to stop this threat?"

"Alone? Very little," Iroh said while pointing to the sky above. "The broken branches are radiating the same spiritual energy as the tree, but without any of the control. Their power is distorting across not just our world, but other realities."

"Other...realities?" Korra questioned.

"It is a little hard to explain, so perhaps its best that you witness it with your own eyes" he said as he drew her attention to the shifting sky. Instead of its usual pastel afterglow, there were multiple images weaving through the air. Like moving pictures that appeared for only a handful of seconds. Within each picture appeared to be many strangers and sights that were totally alien to the Avatar.

"What are those?"

"Worlds. Countless ones. Separated yet bound together by the threads of time woven out by the tree," he explained. "Some bare striking resemblances to ours. There are heroes..."

One image showed what appeared to be a shadowy figure bent over a roof top, his face obscured by the darkness, but from what Korra made out his likeness was similar to that of a bat.

"And villains."

A new image, a much more haunting one, showing a man with bleach white skin, dressed in the most bizarre of outfits. He stood over several bloodied bodies, all the while laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world.

"Up until now, these worlds have been divided by the Tree of Time. Like the pages of a book, separate yet all held together by the same cover. But now, due to Azula's actions...the worlds have begun to bleed over."

The images in the sky began to distort even further before taking shape again, a shape that Korra knew all too well.

"Hang on...that's Republic City!"

"It appears so, and one of the focal points of the world bleeding."

"How do I-"

"Hush, keep watching" he instructed.

The picture of Republic City appeared to be moving in real time. Various landmarks fluttered by, all filled with people going about their daily lives. In fact, there was a person in the crowd that Korra could tell from a mile away.

"Asami?" she whispered.

The Future Industries CEO looked to be in a rather melancholy mood, she was sat outside a café, all alone. She stirred her tea with a spoon absentmindedly.

Korra felt the family bite of guilt, eat at her. How could she have been so idiotic? She had let both the stress of her duties and need for respite compromise such an important day. Before she fell any further into her brooding, her attention was drawn to something else in the image, something that was shimmering with an unnatural light, perched just on the edge of said cafe's roof.

"That's..."

"A fragment of the Tree of Time," Iroh interjected. "It seems that multiple shards have fallen into our own world, and in doing so are acting as a razor that gnaws at the edge of reality, all the while serving as a beacon for unfortunate souls to pass on through," he explained before looking at Korra with stern eyes.

As if to elaborate the point, the shard's luminous shell began to radiate more intensely, and as it did so, there was a sudden dispersal in the crowd below. It was minute, but Korra managed to see it. There was another face in the crowd. They wore different clothes, had an odd hairstyle, and had a confused look about them. It was like they had suddenly came into being then and there.

"...Soos! Soos what's going on here! Did you and the kids switch out my coffee again?! You are so fired for this!" the newcomer snapped.

Korra's look was beyond bewilderment.

"This is a snapshot of the chaos to come. Strangers awakening in strange lands, confusion leading to countless confrontations. The Spirit World will eventually start to feel the same effects and be forcibly integrated into this new viscous cycle. Balance will be broken," he sighed, heart heavy with worry. "You must find them Korra, find the tree's remnants and return them to the Spirit World before our home is torn apart by this unseen calamity."

Asami's face passed through Korra's mind again. She was in danger. The woman she loved was in danger. She wouldn't allow it. She couldn't. This enemy may have been formless, but it was still an enemy she would have to defeat. After Amon's manipulation, Zaheer's poison and Kuvira's brutality, nothing was too much for her. A sentiment she cemented with four words.

"I'll get it done."

"I'm glad to see you resolve hasn't wavered," Iroh commented.

Korra opened her mouth, almost hesitantly, but was once again cut off.

"You're about to ask about Azula, aren't you?" he said softly.

"She's still out there. People are going to die if she's not stopped. I can't just abandon-"

"I am not saying that you should abandon anyone, or that Azula should be left alone. My niece is a clever one, but her appetites are predictable. Above all else, she only desires one thing; power" he said, his eyes almost glistening with deep-rooted pain. "She has finally reclaimed what she sought for decades, she will do whatever it takes to maintain it."

"The shards."

"Find them, and it is likely she will come to you. In the meantime, I suggest that you leave things to Zuko. No-one knows Azula better than him. While he keeps her contained, you and the others must recover the fragments if there is any hope of reversing this."

"He won't be happy that I'll be jumping ship so early..."

"Just tell him life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not" he added with a grin. "For all of his grouchiness, my nephew is one who understands the importance of setting off down a dangerous and difficult path for the sake of the greater good."

"I hope so," Korra added sheepishly. "I'll need to...wait a second," she paused before turning back to Iroh. "What do you mean by you and the others?"

"Hmm? Didn't I say before? Alone you can do very little."

"But I can-"

"Can scour this world from Zaofu all the way to the bottom of the Serpent's Pass. Even if you recover every shard within a day, it is beyond all likeliness that the rest of the tree has scattered across other worlds. Without those lost pieces, your efforts will be fruitless." He explained. "Which is why, dear Avatar, you won't have to handle this burden alone."

There was another explosion of colour in the sky, the picture shifting into three distinct shapes. On closer inspection Korra could see that that they were each showing three individuals, each fundamentally different from one another, and from the looks of things appeared to be engaged in battles of their own.

"Who are they?" she asked.

"Your allies," Iroh said with a grin. "I have searched and searched, using all I can to locate the remaining fragments, and to the best of my knowledge, they appear to have nestled within four worlds, including ours. The three before you are like yourself are the ones who shall aide you in your crusade. They are, in many ways, just like you"

"How do you mean? Are they Avatars? Benders?" she questioned.

"Heroes, though of a much different nature," he added.

 _"A child of starlight, born of true love. Alien in all aspects save for her compassion, while her fists defend humanity with lyrical precision"_

The image showed an very explosive confrontation between a woman whose skin was of the deepest crimson colour, along with the wildest hairstyle Korra had ever seen in her life. She was trading blows with a rather bulky creature, their head adorned with some kind of helmet, one that was hammering into the bruised frame of the block-haired woman. In turn, they responded with a smirk before delivering quite the uppercut.

"...and it's stronger than you!" she concluded before breaking apart the cranial weapon of her enemy with a fierce blow.

 _"A noble heroine, who hides her timidity with a mask that inspires hope for all her countrymen."_

The next image was of a city almost as splendid as Republic City, glistening with architecture that in all honesty blew Korra away. Of course, she didn't have much time to enjoy as a rather peculiar sight caught her attention. It appeared to be a bizarre battle between an Earthbender (at least that would explain while there would be so many golems) and several civilians, one of which appeared to be clothed in a tight, bright red outfit coated in black dots, while a thin mask covered the upper half of her face. From the look of things, she was perhaps only a few years younger than Korra. Said masked character jumped onto a rather spectacular looking tower, her words echoing to the crowd below.

"Let me make this promise to you. No matter who wants to harm you, Ladybug and Cat Noir will do everything in our power to keep you safe!"

 _"And finally, the sorceress, torn between her dark destiny and an urge to right the wrongs of her lineage."_

It was all ablaze. Hellfire coated the horizon, with a howling behemoth at its center. It was as large as the Colossus that Korra had faced not so long ago, but this was a creature of flesh. Eyes aglow with a visceral red light, its body emblazoned with dark markings and ritualistic clothing. It was lashing out against a small group below, one of which happened to be a woman clothed in shimmering white clothes, contrasted only by her deep lavender hair. From her hands poured forth equally blinding waves of light that seemed to be repelling the hulking demon. It was so bright that Korra could have sworn she was looking at someone enter the Avatar State.

"I was protected by the monks of Azarath, I was raised by my friends. They are family, this is my home, and you are not welcome here! Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!"

Korra had to take a moment as she watched the events unfold before her eyes. She soon turned to see Iroh, who was giving her a quizzical smirk.

"So I'm...teaming up with them?"

"Indeed, though of course there's no way for you to physically cross over to their worlds. The push and pull of the shards is too unpredictable, and who knows if any of you would survive such a trip," he explained.

"Then how are we supposed to work together?"

The smile that followed gave Korra cause for concern.

"There is a way, though it is most unconventional. However, you should be able to adapt rather well. After all, you're used to having people talk inside your head, right?"

"...I'm going to hate this aren't I?"

"Most likely."

As a single mother, it was rare for Hoshi to have a night all to herself, but her friends had insisted. She had to admit, feeling like a young woman again after going through such a messy divorce did a world of good for her esteem. She could drink, she could laugh, she could hit up the odd conversation with the bartender if she wanted. It was exactly the thing she needed, it was just a shame that the night had ended so quickly.

One of her other friends had drank a bit too much and required support in order to get home. Given how she was only a little tipsy, Hoshi decided to walk home alone and leave the others to tend to the afflicted party. Throwing up and spontaneously firebending at the same time was a sure sign that it was quitting time.

Still reeling from getting the bartender's number, Yoshi passed that same corner she had crossed a million times before while taking her son to school. The same crack in the pavement, the same scorch marks on the wall, the same silhouette of her house. Only this time there was a new shadow.

Without warning Yoshi found herself pinned to the wall, a hand around her face, almost pushing her through the brick. It was like hot iron pressing into her skin. She couldn't even scream.

"Well, aren't you a pretty one," a voice whispered out. "Bet they all love you. Though you and I both know it's not going to last. One grey hair and they'll abandon you like the rat you are. Want to know why?" the voice grew louder as her attacker pressed their lips to her ear. "Because the beautiful, the truly beautiful, are the strong. Stand at the pinnacle and they all flock to you, bathing in your imperfections, because they all know that they'll die otherwise. That's the sad truth I'm afraid. So tell me..."

The fingers covering Hoshi's eyes parted to reveal the face of her assailant. They wore a smile that chilled her blood. It was a smile of immense satisfaction.

"Am I beautiful?" Azula asked, all before blue flames erupted from her hand.

It took her a few moments to dump the body in the nearest alleyway and clear the blackened skull fragments from her hands, after which Azula casually strolled into the moonlit streets and looked above. The shadow of the capitol met her eyes, the Fire Lord's palce caught inside her lustful gaze.

"Oh, it's good to be home."


	5. The Gathering: Part Two

Korra hadn't expected the conversation with Zuko to go so smoothly. Well, that wasn't exactly true. She first had to get through the difficulty of informing him about Azula's rejuvenation. Needless to say he took it as well as could be. For an older gentleman the Avatar didn't expect for him to have such an explosive temper.

"That miserable she devil! When I get my hands on her I'll-"

The list of expletives went on and on. The medics were quickly tending to Korra's burns and bruises as best they could, all the while a very worried Naga contributed to the process by licking her face incessantly. She would have pushed her away, but right now Korra felt like she needed a little affection.

After nearly kicking a hole in the airship, the Fire Lord eventually calmed himself, at which Korra took the plunge and carefully laid out the situation. While she had expected some sort of backlash, she was met by unnerving silence as Zuko listened.

"...My uncle said that?" he asked slowly.

"He said life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not" she repeated.

An unusual smile crossed his face, the grizzled monarch suddenly looking around fifty years younger.

"That crazy old man. Even when he's departed the land of the living he's still giving me lectures" he chuckled, all the while fighting a lump in his throat. As he looked upon the Avatar, his eyes returned to their steely luster. "Go, find these remnants as quickly as you can, then join me in hunting down my sister."

Korra's bandaged fist tightened.

"I will. I promise."

Republic City was practically beaming today, especially when it came to the local parks. It would have been the perfect setting for a romantic walk or just soaking in the sun. Korra let her eyes linger on the greenery as long as she could, thinking at how wonderful it would be to go snatch up Asami and spend the better half of the day here. Of course, indulging in such pleasantries would act only as a fatal distraction.

"Let's go girl" Korra said as she squeezed her legs around Naga's side, prompting the polar bear dog to leap across the pathways towards the center of the city, only just managing to avoid pedestrians, who by this point had gotten pretty used to seeing the giant white fur-ball rampage through town.

It had taken a whole day for the zeppelin to take her back from the Southern Water Tribe, and most of that time she had spent sleeping and meditating in the hope of a quick recovery. There had been no time for her to contact the likes of Lin, Tenzin, Mako or even Asami, something she was once again regretting.

"I'm such a screw up..." she thought to herself.

 _"You really are too hard on yourself."_

"GAH!" she yelled out, her sharp reaction causing Naga to come to a grinding halt and nearly throw her off in the process. "Wh...what?" she thought aloud, still in shock.

 _"Is my voice really that scary? You wound me Korra"_ a soft laugh echoed her ears again, one of deep familiarity.

"Iroh?"

 _"Bingo."_

"You scared me half to death! I thought you were going to give me some warning before you did this whole mind-talk thing!"

 _"I prefer the term mental network."_

"Still doesn't make it any less weird..."

 _"I thought speaking to Aang and the other Avatars would have made it this easier for you?"_

"Well, yeah but...I don't know, this feels different. Wrong even."

 _"How so?"_

"Aaag, Wan, the others, they're all part of me. There's this peace when I speak...spoke to them" she sighed, the bitter conclusion to Harmonic Convergence making her shudder as she recalled how Vaatu's attack had cost her the previous connection with the others. She could still recall the last smile Wan gave her before he faded from the Avatar Cycle altogether. "But this, I can't really describe it, but it's like I've got a stranger speaking through me, there's no control and it's...a little scary to be honest."

 _"It certainly is an unorthodox method of communication, and I'm afraid it will only grow more complicated as time goes on. More voices on the call, as it were,"_ he explained.

"Terrific."

After a few pats on the head, Naga was once again on the move, leaping across street corners, managing to cause as little damage as possible in the process. It didn't take them long to arrive at the café, which was surprisingly was far busier than usual. Busy with police that is.

Slipping off her furry companion, Korra made her way to the center of commotion. As expected of the RCPD, they had cleared up quick. The detectives and officers were questioning civilians while also taping off most of the area surrounding the building. The owner of the establishment looked particularly upset about the whole thing.

"You can't just shut down Cabbage Coffee!" he yelled out.

"Sir, the faster you cooperate with us, the faster we'll be out of your hair."

"Is that supposed to be a joke! Can't you see I'm going bald?!"

"A poor choice of words sir, I apologize."

Korra had to stifle back a laugh as she watched Lin Beifong do everything in her power to not ensnare the café owner in chains. She had really mellowed in recent years. At least as much as could be expected for Republic City's number one super-cop.

 _"My, my, I see she didn't inherit Toph's sense of humor"_ Iroh chuckled.

"Okay, you need to give me some warning before you do that!"

 _"I'm afraid we don't have the time for such luxuries."_

"How are you doing this anyway?"

 _"With a great deal of effort, I can assure you. As a spirit, you and I instantly have a connection that can be tapped into. Also, thanks to the effects of the world bleeding, I have already made contact with one of our new allies. Together, we have established this web of telepathy that will allow instant communication,"_ he explained.

"New ally? Who-"

"Avatar?"

Korra was pulled from her inner conversation by a new voice. Lin stood before her, arms crossed and eyes raised in curiosity.

"O-Oh! Hey Lin!" she said, blushing in embarrassed. She must have been a puzzling sight, just staring into space like that while talking to herself.

"Thought you were bound for the Fire Nation, you know, to sort out that little...problem that have" she said, very aware of the many ears listening in.

"Y...Yeah, um, the situation has kind of changed," Korra answered, not sure how to put into context all the craziness that had occurred over the last few days.

"I wasn't informed. What kind of change are we talking here?" Lin questioned, eyes acute.

The image of Azula's sinister grin entered her mind again, causing Korra to unintentionally scowl. Part of her wanted to grab the nearest flight back to the Southern Water Tribe to go and hunt for clues on the princess' whereabouts, but deep down she knew how foolish and irresponsible that would be.

"It's gotten a million times more complicated. Like, Earth Empire levels," she admitted.

"Nothing new there, seems like each week we get hit by some new disaster or menace. I think I'm a little desensitized by this point," Lin sighed. "I need to finish things up here, but afterwards I'll do what I can to help you out."

Korra's practically beamed.

"Thank you, you have no idea what that means!"

"Just doing my job kid, what do you need?"

"Best bet would be to rendezvous with Lord Zuko, he's hunting down Azu...ah...our missing person."

"I'll grab some of my best guys and head on out, this shouldn't take too long anyway. Just as soon as that guy stops going on about his stupid cabbage coffee."

"What happened here anyway?" Korra asked.

"According to eye witnesses, some guy randomly appeared out of nowhere and started causing a ruckus. He wasn't a bender but it still took three guys to pin him down, we're holding him back at the station at the moment," she explained.

"Ah...right."

"That have anything to do with why you're here?"

 _"She is a sharp one,"_ Iroh chuckled.

"Potentially. I need to look around for something." Korra added, a little sheepishly, after all she hated getting on the wrong side of Lin during one of her cases.

"I'll get you access, come on."

"You're the best Lin!"

"I know."

"You sure it was here?" Korra asked.

Her search around the café had so far garnered zero results. She had looked through ever cupboard, under every appliance, she had even questioned the detectives and owner if they had seen something peculiar suddenly appear. Something other than the stranger that is. All she had left was to look over the rooftop, but there was nothing to be found.

"How can it not be here?!"

 _"Time is a fickle thing Korra."_

"You said that already."

 _"What you saw in the Spirit World could reflect the past or future,"_ Iroh elaborated.

"So I'm stuck waiting for this shard to appear?!" she groaned in annoyance.

 _"Time is no longer our friend, so I would strong advise against that."_

"Well I am open to any suggestions."

 _"You are the Avatar, are you not? You connection to the Spirit World is stronger than any other, and the shards, while in a state of flux, are still very much a product of the spiritual plains. You need only focus."_

Korra took a deep breath, trying to collect herself, looking out over the view of Republic City. The beautiful daylight spotted with an uneasy collection of clouds in the distance. Taking a moment to calm herself, she brought her fists together as she had done so many times in the past, closing her eyes in the process.

 _"That's it Korra, hear the echoes of the tree, feel the spiritual pull. It will guide you to what you seek,"_ Iroh said calmly, his words reverberating through her ears, further relaxing her mind.

The dampened light of the sun, the bustle of the street below, all began to fade as Korra concentrated on her goal. There was only darkness, at least for a moment. As she drifted deeper into the silence, she felt it. The ripple.

"What...is that?"

Another ripple followed, then another, and another still. Korra soon found the dark of her eyelids filled with shimmering waves of light, though they seemed quite weak. At last until she turned her head west, to which she felt a much stronger ripple reach her.

"I think I've got it!" she grinned before letting loose a whistle. There was a loud bustle from below as many officers were pushed aside as Naga came into view. Leaping off the room and onto the strong back of her companion, Korra refocused herself, thankfully the same ripples were still very much visible to her.

"You found what you need?" Lin asked, though no very amused that she now had stray white fur scattered about her hair and a few officers who had been knocked to the curb.

"I hope so. I'm looking for a needle in a haystack after all."

"Oh, that's an easy one to solve."

"Huh?"

"Just metalbend the needle out and jam it into the eye of the guy who hid it."

"..."

"It's a joke kid, lighten up. Now get going before I fine this fluffball for parking violations."

 _"On second thought, she definitely has Toph's sense of humor."_

"Tell me about it."

The search took her all over the east end of the city, past all manner of shops, theaters and market stalls. The repairs from Kuvira's attack were moving along at an accelerated pace. In another year or so perhaps all the damage done by the Colossus would be nothing more than a bad memory. At least for some. People like Asami on the other hand, it would a painful reminder of who she had lost.

 _"You think about her a lot, don't you"_ Iroh stated calmly.

"Who?"

 _"You know who."_

"...She's one of the best things that ever happened to me. I don't want to screw it up," Korra admitted, holding onto Naga's fur a little tighter.

 _"Young love is a labyrinth, Korra. It's hard to navigate if you panic, but patience will always see you through. I can speak from experience here,"_ he chuckled.

Korra sighed, but returned the unseen smile.

"I guess you're right. There will be plenty of time to patch things up after we fix the world."

 _"Strange, I remember saying the same thing to my wife when I was...wait...Korra, do you-"_

"I sense it" she said before bringing Naga to a halt once again. The streets were a little less crowded here, only a handful of stragglers who were making their way to the Pro-Bending Arena. In all the confusion Korra had forgotten that the finals were happening tonight.

She could still recall the cheer of the crowds back when the Fire Ferrets were at the top of their game.

"The shard is around here somewhere, I'm sure of it" she said as she slid of Naga and began to look around. "Maybe I should have taken Lin and her squad with us, would have made this thing so much..." she trailed off when she felt it. The fluctuations. The spiritual essence. They tore through her consciousness, no longer ripples, more like spikes. She barely had time to focus on the aftereffects, since she was directly looking at the source in front of her.

A child, no older than ten by her guesstimate, wearing a pro-bending scarf that was way too big for him. His eyes were wide, but then whose wouldn't have been when fire was spilling out of their body, each miniature eruption slowly taking the form of a fire-imbued tendril. In his right hand was a large object that looked like it had been taken from the heart of an oak tree. It radiated such vivid light that the child seemed almost hypnotized by it, to the extent he didn't notice he was drenched in flames.

Korra didn't even think. She dashed forward as fast as she could, determined to tear the shard form the child's hand. The movements were wasted however, as the child let out a powerful scream, one that increased the intensity of the flames tenfold, stretching out and tearing through the surrounding area like it was cutting through paper.

"Not good!"

 _"Korra! Get down!"_ Iroh warned.

Fighting instinct kicking in, Korra swung her arms in front of her to create a small wall of stone, one that was just thick enough to prevent the flames from tearing through her flesh. At least at first. Like a swarm, the blazing tendrils began to descend upcoming upon her defense again and again, each time chipping more of it away.

"What is this?!"

 _"My greatest fear realized. It seems that the shards have accelerated the child's firebending ability beyond all control,"_

"It can do that?! How?!"

 _"You have felt the Tree of Time's power before, have you not? Infinite knowledge, infinite potential, but now that it is shattered, it appears to empower those who touch its shards until their strength is beyond human."_

"Well this is just perfect!" Korra growled before she tried to refortify her defenses, but it proved to be a pointless labor.

The child was howling in fear, and with every passing scream, the flames only grew in size and ferocity, striking out at Korra like it was trying to smother her out as quickly as possible.

"I need to take that thing off of him before we both end up roasted," she spluttered as she felt the flames start to lick her skin. "I'm going to waterbend my way through and snatch it out of his hands!"

 _"Be swift, I fear he may not last much longer."_

"On it!" she snapped, flexing her fingers as far as possible.

They were thankfully close to the river, and with a mere thought the water rose, spiraling towards her by the gallon. Bringing both of her palms to the floor, the water splashed down, cutting through the flames. There was a blinding burst of steam as the tendrils recoiled for a moment, but a moment was all Korra needed. Charging forward, she began to bend the water around her, coating herself in a protective shell, like a liquid cannonball. Just as the flames bared their fangs once again, they were met with the solid impact of the Avatar crashing into the child. Water and fire scattered everywhere as the two sprawled on the concrete floor.

The impact hadn't been hard, but the child was startled none the less. Before either had a chance to breath, Korra rolled over and grasped the shard out of his hand, snagging it away. As the wooden shell left the safety of the child's hands, all the remaining flames vanished in an instant.

Korra panted hard, her lungs burning red after such a collision. She grasped the hard in her hand as tightly as possible.

"Finally!"

"I can't take my eyes off you for ten minutes, can I?" Lin sighed as she offered a towel to Korra to clean her face.

The child was thankfully okay. Korra was convinced that the family would call for her head, but if anything, they were beyond grateful that she had saved him for what would have been an agonizing end. The boy, who eagerly introduced himself as Katsu, seemed over the moon that he got to meet the Avatar. A barrage of handshakes, hugs and autographs later, and it was like there hadn't even been an incident.

"My bad..." Korra sighed as she dried her face.

"Eh, don't be sorry, you saved that kid from burning to death. I'd say that's a win" she replied before looking to her hand. The shard, also soaked, was caught in a vice-like grip, so much so that Korra's knuckles were changing color from holding on so tightly.

"All that trouble for that thing?"

"Crazy, right?"

"This mean you're finished with your little quest?"

"I wish..." she groaned as she slid the shard into one of the pouches of her signature Water Tribe clothing, tightening the fabric so it remained firmly in place. "I'm not sure where the others are, but I have a feeling it's going to be a long trip."

"Well, if it takes you by Zaofu, let me know and I'll help you out."

"Zaofu?"

"Su called me, said she needed her big sister to help her out with something urgent. I figured I would drop by before heading off to hunt down her majesty," Lin explained. "Don't worry Avatar, when things start to get real messy, I'll have your back."

"Same," Korra beamed.

 _"Congradulations, Korra"_

"Gah!"

"You okay?" Lin asked, taken aback by her outburst.

"Uh...yeah! Totally fine! Just got a caller on the old Spirit World phone! I really got to take this, sorry!" she laughed nervously before hurriedly turning away.

Lin shook her head.

"Still the same crazy girl."

"Just a heads up, that's all I'm asking for!" Korra hissed, looking over the edge of the city into one of its beautiful, winding rivers.

 _"It wasn't exactly easy, but well done in recovering the first shard. Speed and precision are of the upmost importance if we are to succeed in this endeavor."_

"Yeah, well, I'm just glad I didn't have to bury a body today" she sighed. "Though...why didn't the shard affect me? I mean, you said it yourself, whoever touches it loses control of their bending," she asked.

 _"Not just bending. In its current state, the Tree of Time will grant destructive power to any mortal soul, and as the tearing of our world's fabric increases, who knows what else it will do to those unfortunate enough to encounter it."_

"That's comforting."

 _"But as to why you weren't affected, I would say that's obvious. You are the Avatar. Even as it spirals out of control, the Tree of Time is still part of the Spirit World. You and it share the same essence. In fact, it's only because of this power that there is hope for the others to succeed."_

"What do you mean?"

 _"As I mentioned before, this mental connection of ours was formed by one of our newest allies. Her skills lay in the manipulation and strengthening of the mind. Likewise, your power lays in your interactions with spirits. By acting as a conduit, I am able to distribute these gifts of yours with the others. Think of it as passive inter-dimensional bending."_

"Yeah, well, I would rather they didn't take too much of my Avatar-ness to be honest. I'm still not totally comfortable with leaving three quarters of the job to people I've never met before. I mean, I hate to say it but, do you know if they can be trusted?"

 _"The feeling's mutual"_

"GAH!" Korra snapped. The voice inside her head, it wasn't Iroh's, at least not anymore. It was new, droll, and distinctly female in tone. "Who...who said that?"

 _"Ah, I was wondering when you would speak up. Well, Avatar Korra, I think it's time to introduce you to the others,"_ Iroh's voice echoed.


	6. The Gathering: Part Three

Whoever said that a city ever slept was sorely mistaken. Cities never sleep. By daylight the streets were filled with ordinary folk going about their lives, basking in whatever comforts they could afford. Then came nightfall; when the animals came out to play. There were only two kinds, the ones who wanted to have fun, and the others whose fun came at the cost of others.

Raven found both equally intolerable.

"I-I swear! I didn't do anything!" the man yelled, his features a ghostly white as he found himself suspended from the air like a puppet with only one string left.

Bewildered faces watched in silence as the young woman twisted her hand, the black aura that shrouded it intensified twice over. As a result, the floating partygoer found himself unceremoniously falling to the ground with a dull thud, the only thing more bruised than his body being his pride.

"No means no, I don't have to be a telepath to see what you were about to do. I suggest you call it quits and sleep off the drink before you get yourself into real trouble" she said sharply. From under the shadow of her hood, her gaze grew fearsome, prompting the accused to practically leap out of his skin and high-tail it across the street.

The cloaked individual turned to see a rather shaken woman beside her, dressed for a good time but currently looking like she had just seen a ghost. It wasn't clear whether it was because she had nearly been manhandled or because she had just seen someone float.

"You okay?"

She nodded wordlessly.

"Stay with your friends and stay alert"

Another frantic nod.

With a sigh, the cloaked individual effortlessly took to the skies, leaving the rest of the party animals to their night of dancing and awkward flirting. As she became doused in moonlight it became clear her skin was ashen, and while her deep blue cloak hung to her body like shadow, her amethyst eyes and hair could not be unseen. With minimal effort, Raven managed to finally escape the noise of the nightlife below by soaring above the highest of Jump City's buildings, allowing her to view the concrete jungle below in its entirety.

"Peace at last. Now, to focus on-"

 _"Who is this?!"_

The voice tore through her like a lightning bold, shattering her psyche with its brashness and nearly sent her plummeting out of the sky from shock alone. If there was one thing she hated above all else, it was having her concentration broken. Unfortunately for her, the voice in question seemed especially verbose.

"Could you please refrain from yelling..." she growled.

 _"Iroh, what's going on here? Why can I hear another voice inside my head?!"_ the voice persisted, much to Raven's annoyance. _"Am I picking up some kind of spiritual radio frequency here? Because nobody warned me about this!"_

"You're dreadfully misinformed" Raven sighed as she landed on the closest rooftop. Reaching up, she removed her hood, letting the cool night air wash over her. "What you're experiencing is a telepathic connection. A neural interaction, though truth be told, I've never experienced it on such a transcendent level before," she mused.

 _"...Iroh! The weird voice is talking again!"_

Raven gritted her teeth.

"Would you please lower your voice..."

 _"I hope we haven't caught you at an inopportune moment"_ Iroh's voice glided through her ears, calm as ever.

"It's fine, time isn't exactly a luxury for any of us anymore" Raven responded, peering out over the landscape again. "I'm looking for a temporal needle in the world's biggest haystack, this won't be easy, but if these shards possess as much power as you say, then I should be-"

 _"Hello?! I'm still here! Who is this?!"_ Korra snapped back, nearly sending Raven off the edge again.

"Will you be QUIET!" Raven retorted as her eyes glowed a hazy white, the sharpness of her tone causing the loose dirt around her to shuffle in place, like a miniature quake had shuddered them out of alignment.

Before anymore voices could be raised, Iroh interjected.

 _"Avatar, this poignant young woman goes by the name of Raven. A sorceress. A being able to conjure and twist the world around with lost magics. Her mental fortitude is second to none, and as such I have recruited her to aid in our recovery of the tree's remains,"_ he explained.

 _"Magic? You mean like pulling a rabbit out of a hat?"_

"She's much more...talkative then you made her out to be" Raven muttered under her breath.

 _"Hey! I'll have you know I'm-"_

"The Avatar. I know exactly who and what you are. Iroh has told me all I need to know and what is at stake. I'm here to clean up this mess and make sure whatever this Azula is planning never crosses over to my reality."

 _"Mess? It's a little more complicated that that!"_

"Maniacal woman obtains crazy amount of power and nearly shatters all of time and space. I'd say that qualifies as a mess. A colossal sized one" she retorted before slowly lifted her legs up and assuming a meditative stance. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos..." she chanted.

There was a brief pause before the static in her ears began to quieten. While it looked like nothing had changed, beneath the surface, the fabric of the world started to slowly shift.

 _"What...what's happening...I can see...a city?"_ Korra said slowly, confusion and alarm filling her.

 _"This is the true power that Raven holds. She is serving as an anchor between you and the other champions, strengthening the tethers I have placed between you four. In short, she has forged a mental network, one that allows senses to be shared without harm,"_ Iroh elaborated.

"It may be harmless but it's still extremely uncomfortable," Raven chimed in. "It's a melding of minds on a scale beyond anything I could image. Our realities were never meant to mesh, but to ensure our success I have had to exploit the tears between our world. As a result, please be mindful that the more ruckus you make the harder it is to keep this so-called network operational."

 _"Not sure I'm too comfortable with this, but I guess I'll have to bear it,"_ Korra sighed.

"Thank you for your sacrifice" Raven snarled.

Before the Avatar could retort, Raven jolted up, scanning the horizon with wide eyes, darting from one building to another like she had just been spooked.

"I think I sensing one of the shards, close by," she said before once again taking flight, this time at a much greater speed as the night wind battered her eye lashes.

 _"Wait, I thought I was the only one who could sense the Tree of Time?"_ Korra asked aloud.

"I've spent my entire life surrounded by the supernatural, using telepathy to find a piece of god-tree is a no-brainer for me."

 _"Telepa-wha? I don't know what...wait, are you flying?! Are you an airbender?!"_

"Looks like the network is stronger than I thought, didn't expect you could see me levitating so clearly."

 _"How are you...I thought there weren't any other benders outside my world?"_

The sorceress landed amidst an empty street, looking around each corner like a hungry yet cautious mouse, amethyst eyes scanning the corridors for her prize.

"This shard you speak of...I can feel it. It's weak, but the sensation is unmistakable. Looks like you were right Iroh, I think your doomsday bark has found itself a comfy spot for itself in my neck of the woods," Raven said aloud.

 _"Hey! Don't ignore me!"_ Korra snapped back.

Raven almost bared her teeth like a Doberman.

"It. Is. Not. Bending. It's magic, one that is bound to my soul and requires a great deal of focus to handle, something you are currently impeding," she retorted. Taking flight once again, she passed over the head over several citizens, some seeking the night life and others trying to escape it. "If it's still in Jump City, it's not staying still, it feels like there's ripples everywhere, I can't get a read on it. What kind of sorcery are we dealing with here?"

 _"One as old as creation itself, and one that must be kept out of the wrong hands at all costs,"_ Iroh said.

"I have to find the darn thing first. At this rate I'll have to do an entire sweep of the city," she groaned. "Of course, none of the Titans are here to help me out."

 _"The who?"_ Korra chimed in.

 _"I am afraid we can't risk any hindrance, especially in regards to your friends. We must hasten our progress at any and all cost,"_ Iroh said.

"We're far from finished in regards to that particular discussion" Raven snorted as she sidestepped a few girls who were on their way to a party while dressed as versions of herself and her team-mates. One whose leotard was several sizes too small. "Though I'm certainly open to suggestions."

 _"As a matter-a-fact, I have one,"_ Iroh chuckled. _"The mental link you two share appears to be working well, which means it is time for you to aid our dear sorceress, Korra."_

 _"Me?"_

"Oh, this should be good..."

 _"As Raven has demonstrated, she is able to share a fraction of her power with you through this mental connection. You too can feed her a sliver of your power,"_ Iroh explained.

 _"Uuuuh, what kind of sliver are we talking here_...?" Korra asked with a less than pleased air to her voice.

"Don't make it awkward," Raven sighed.

 _"You're the one making it awkward! I just have some slight reservations about giving some of my power to a random stranger that's talking directly into my brain,"_ she retorted.  
 _"Korra..."_ Iroh's voice resonated with the same firmness that had come to be expected of a mentor. _"You must put aside any misgivings you may have. No matter how bizarre, this is the only way to undo the havoc that Azula has unleashed."_

There was a moment's pause before Korra let loose a rather lacklustre "fine," subsequently exhaling to calm her agitated mind.

Not long after, Raven began to feel the ripples she had been sensing sharpen, growing stronger and stronger until it felt her mind was being battered by an incoming tide. "Azarath..." she groaned in response.

 _"That help?"_ Korra asked.

"M...Maybe. I can sense something. Powerful, but isolated. It's got an indescribable aura to it" she explained while rubbing her temples, trying to dispel the haze from her mind. It was if she had instantly been cured of a nasal infection and was suddenly able to breath again. "Seems like your bark is located on the northern side of town."

 _"Excellent. It appears you two have managed to create your own harmony,"_ Iroh added, almost gleefully.

"Harmony might be too strong a word. It's going to take a while before..." she trailed off, lost in her own thoughts, though the abject look of horror remained frozen on her face. "Oh no."

 _"What is it?"_ Korra asked.

"Trouble."

The screams that echoed through the street weren't the usual kind you'd expect to hear at this time of night. Neither drunk nor enthusiastic, it was a sound that could only come from genuine terror. In this case it was emanating from a young woman who watched as her boyfriend was tossed around like a ragdoll, clothes and torso torn up like he had just wrestled a wolf.

Emerging from the darkness of the alley appeared a hulking figure. Every movement seemed to cause a vast amount of shuddering, like every cell convulsing in anger. The streetlights revealed her to be a woman of the same age as her victims, her clothes wrinkled, a bruise around her cheek, and a large piece of shimmering wood clutched between her fingers so hard they had begun to bleed.

"Dirty...lying...cheating...JERK!" she yelled before leaping forward like a beast about to snatch up its evening meal. Rocketing through the air, her nails almost tasted the young flesh of her target, if not for the fact she was being held in place. Darkness consumed her vision as her entire body was shrouded by black energy.

"I would call it a night if I were you," Raven stated as she emerged from the earth, her form akin to a three-dimensional shadow. Keeping her eyes on her prisoner, she began to make various hand movements, which in turn caused the rabid woman's body to stretch out like she was about to be crucified. "Looks like you picked up something a little stronger than tequila. Let me just take care of that..."

The woman's grip began to reluctantly loosen on the shard, much to her outrage, leading to batter her body against the invisible force that was holding her body at bay. Snarling and drooling and lashing with every ounce of strength she had left inside of her, her efforts seemed to cause the bark in her hand to erupt with light. The brightness was only matched by its force, instantly shattering Raven's hold over her. Before she had even touched the ground, she set her sights on the sorceress, eyes bloodshot and trickling with mystical energy.

"...Oh for Azar's sake."

The woman shot forward with the speed and force of a bullet. Her fist nearly made contact with Raven's delicate nose, thought luckily the sudden appearance of a dark forcefield managed to intercept the blow, though it did cause her to stagger back quite a bit.

"She's strong. Way too strong," she thought aloud as she began to form various symbols with her hand. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" she yelled as her eyes suddenly became aglow with beautiful white light, causing both the nearby streetlights and the ground below to suddenly latch around her attacker. "Will...you...just...quit it!" she snapped as she coiled the various debris around the woman until she was practically cocooned in rubble.

Panting slightly, Raven looked over to see that the possessed woman was still trying to lash out at her, but she was having a bit of difficulty pushing herself through the metal and rock that bound her in place. A long sigh escaped her as she regained focus.

"Sloppy Raven, too sloppy," she berated before reaching out, her fingers suddenly disappearing into nothingness as a miniature portal opened up. After a minute of digging her hand around, Raven pulled her arm back to reveal the shard, no longer glowing. Hey eyes fell back to the woman, who was now looking far less vicious and a tad more confused.

Tears and makeup ran down her cheeks while her once flawless hair had been spoiled due to the fragments of stone and blood that were now entangled in it. If not for the fact that both could have ended up seriously hurt by this ordeal, one might have laughed at the sight of the pretty young thing wrapped up in an urban sushi roll.

"W...What happened...?" she asked, voice hoarse from all her previous shrieks.

Raven wandered over and began to slowly break apart the impromptu binds, careful to not put the woman through more grief. "Take it easy, you've had a rough night."

"Where's Jake? Did he and Sherry set this up?! That jerk! I knew he wanted me out of the picture!" she wailed as she slowly began to break out into a rather colourful ramble, one that showed no sign of slowing down.

The sorceress let out another long sigh. "Cyborg was right, I should have gone to East City with the rest of them..."


End file.
